Gastrointestinal Tract - Original Article

Islamic fasting leads to an increased abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila and Bacteroides fragilis group: A preliminary study on intermittent fasting

Volume 30 · Issue 12 Publish Date: December 15, 2019
Ceren Özkul Meltem Yalınay Tarkan Karakan
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Turkish Journal of Gastroenterology

Volume 30 · Issue 12

Pages: 1030-1035

History

Published Online: December 15, 2019

Copyright © 2019 Ceren Özkul, Meltem Yalınay, Tarkan Karakan

Ceren Özkul
Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Hacettepe University School of Pharmacy, Ankara, Turkey
Meltem Yalınay
Department of Clinical Microbiology, Gazi University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
Tarkan Karakan
Department of Gastroenterology, Gazi University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
Özkul, C., Yalınay, M., & Karakan, T. (2019). Islamic fasting leads to an increased abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila and Bacteroides fragilis group: A preliminary study on intermittent fasting. Turkish Journal of Gastroenterology, 30(12), 1030–1035. https://doi.org/10.5152/tjg.2019.19185
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Abstract

Background/Aims: It has been largely accepted that dietary habits affect intestinal microbiota composition. In this pilot study, we hypothesized that time-restricted feeding, which can be regarded as a type of intermittent fasting, may have a distinct effect on intestinal microbiota. Ramadan fasting is an excellent model to understand how time-restricted feeding affect the microbiota. Materials and Methods: A total of nine subjects were included in this study during Ramadan, consisting of 17 h of fasting/day during a 29-day period. Stool samples were collected at baseline and the day of the end of Ramadan. 16S rRNA qPCR assay has been performed for quantification of Akkermansia muciniphila, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Bifidobacterium spp., Lactobacillus spp., Bacteroides fragilis group, and Enterobacteriaceae. Blood samples were also collected to test for metabolic and nutritional parameters. Results: A significantly increased abundance of A. muciniphila and B. fragilis group was observed in all subjects after Islamic fasting when compared with the baseline levels (p=0.004 and 0.008, respectively). Serum fasting glucose and total cholesterol levels were also significantly reduced in all of the subjects (p<0.01 and p=0.009, respectively). Conclusion: Islamic fasting, which represents intermittent fasting, leads to an increase in A. muciniphila and B. fragilis group, which were considered as healthy gut microbiota members. Although this is a pilot study, which should be tested with larger sample size, there are a very limited number of studies in the literature on fasting and microbiota in human subjects. Thus, our present findings may contribute to the understanding of fasting-gut microbiota interaction.

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Article Info
Published In
Journal Turkish Journal of Gastroenterology
Volume / Issue Volume 30 · Issue 12
Pages 1030-1035
DOI 10.5152/tjg.2019.19185
History
Published Online December 15, 2019
Copyright
Copyright (c) 2019 Ceren Özkul, Meltem Yalınay, Tarkan Karakan
Affiliations
Ceren Özkul
Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Hacettepe University School of Pharmacy, Ankara, Turkey
Meltem Yalınay
Department of Clinical Microbiology, Gazi University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
Tarkan Karakan
Department of Gastroenterology, Gazi University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
Cite this Article
Özkul, C., Yalınay, M., & Karakan, T. (2019). Islamic fasting leads to an increased abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila and Bacteroides fragilis group: A preliminary study on intermittent fasting. Turkish Journal of Gastroenterology, 30(12), 1030–1035. https://doi.org/10.5152/tjg.2019.19185
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